Plantar warts (plantar warts) are benign neoplasms caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV).They occur primarily in young people and do not pose any particular danger because their oncogenicity is too low.
However, to remove growths, it is better to visit a dermatologist.Modern instrumental methods of wart removal are much more effective than banal celandine and even surgical interventions, but they are used exclusively as directed by the attending physician.
This therapy reduces the risk of relapse of the pathological process to a minimum, and also prevents further rooting and spread of skin tumors on the soles of the feet.
Causes
A wart is a skin growth that is benign in nature.The appearance of the spine is caused by the penetration of the papilloma virus into the human body, of which there are about 100 species.
After entering the human body, HPV may not manifest itself for a long time because it is in a “dormant” state.However, as soon as favorable conditions are created for it, it becomes active and immediately begins to multiply, affecting first the soft tissues and then the layers of the dermis, which sooner or later leads to the formation of warts.
The “dormant state” of HPV is due to:
- strong immunity;
- Phagocytosis (a specific protective reaction activated when pathogens enter the human body).
The risk of HPV infection depends on:
- the state in which the virus is in the body of an infected person;
- Type of contact (direct/indirect);
- State of immunity of the HPV carrier.
People with weak immune systems are most susceptible to papillomatosis.But other factors can also influence the development of plantar warts:
- constant stress;
- Revision;
- non-compliance with hygiene rules;
- exhaustion of the body;
- uncomfortable or tight shoes;
- Wounds, scratches, ulcers on the skin surface of the feet.
HPV can enter the human body through:
- Using towels or other items belonging to a virus carrier;
- Handshake.
Factors that favor the formation of spines include:
- increased sweating of the feet;
- frequent contact with household chemicals (even if the washed laundry was well rinsed);
- Injuries leading to a violation of the integrity of the skin of the legs;
- calluses, corns;
- Diseases of the endocrine and cardiovascular systems;
- Using non-sterile tools for nail care;
- Visiting public baths, saunas, swimming pools, beaches.
Human skin consists of several layers:
- Epidermis;
- dermis;
- Subcutaneous fatty tissue.
In the human body, the papilloma virus infects the basal layer of the epidermis (skin) and begins to actively multiply.Cells affected by the papilloma virus gradually rise through all layers of the epidermis and finally localize on the stratum corneum of the epithelium.This causes the skin to become rough and hardened, causing a wart to form.
Symptoms
The incubation period lasts differently for each person.On average it is between several weeks and six months.During this time, the number of cells infected with the virus increases rapidly.However, since the DNA gene of the HPV type that causes plantar warts does not penetrate into the cell nuclei, the risk of developing an oncological process is almost completely eliminated.
A plantar wart is a hard skin growth with clear borders and an oval or round shape.The size of the growth is between 1 and 2 cm in diameter.The spine has a rod that penetrates deep into the layers of the dermis, causing discomfort and pain when walking.It protrudes approximately 1-3 cm above the surface of the skin.In this case, the neoplasm can have a normal color or a light brown or pink hue.
At the initial stage of the formation of a skin growth, its surface is smooth, but as it “matures” it becomes coarser and therefore rough.Its hue becomes gray-yellow and a crater-like depression may appear in the center.The appearance of brown spots on the surface of plantar warts is also considered a common occurrence.They arise as a result of the process of thrombosis of surface capillaries that occurs in the neoplasm tissue.
In most cases, plantar warts are individual growths.However, in some situations, the formation of daughter spines is possible, which indicates excessive activity of the papilloma virus.A large number of neoplasms create a specific mosaic pattern in the skin area where they are located, which is why they are also called “mosaic warts”.
Sometimes the spine disappears on its own without the need for treatment.At the same time, a person no longer has a trace at the place where he was located.However, this does not happen often because the foot is a place where the tumor is often injured.This makes his self-destruction almost impossible.On the contrary, it can constantly become inflamed, bleed and cause pain.
What plantar warts look like: photo
To understand what the spine looks like on the foot of an adult, you can look at the presented photo of a plantar wart.
diagnosis
In most cases, to diagnose plantar warts, it is not necessary to perform any diagnostic procedures - the diagnosis is based on a visual examination by a dermatologist of the areas of the foot affected by growths.
However, if it is necessary to choose a method for removing a skin tumor, a laboratory examination of a scrape taken from the surface of the spine may be required.
How to treat plantar warts: basic principles
Local treatment is often sufficient to treat plantar warts.However, if the virus is too active and daughter tumors appear, the doctor may prescribe systemic therapy based on the use of antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs.They help suppress the activity of the papilloma virus and strengthen the immune system, which in turn helps prevent deeper penetration of HPV and damage to healthy skin areas.
However, preference is still given to local treatment, in which not only the upper part of the spine but also its shaft is removed.However, it should be noted right away that the use of well-known folk remedies for warts is often not very successful.Therefore, it is still better to visit a dermatologist, undergo an examination and subsequent treatment.
The most effective and commonly used methods of treating plantar warts include:
- Chemical destruction.With the help of special drugs, skin tumors are cauterized, which leads to the complete destruction of their tissue structure.Treatment of spines with the help of folk remedies is based on the cauterizing properties of certain herbs and remedies.
- Use of cytostatics for local application.Products based on 5-fluorouracil and ointments have the highest effect.
- Freezing a plantar wart with liquid nitrogen.This procedure is called cryodestruction.Using a special device into which the necessary drug is poured, the growth is frozen (the exposure temperature reaches -220 ° C) and then removed.The manipulation is performed under local anesthesia and requires careful skin care after completion.
- Surgical intervention.In this case, they resort to scraping the warts with a special medical device - a Volkmann spoon.It is possible to simply cut out the spines with an ordinary scalpel, but this procedure has long been outdated.
In addition to the manipulations described above, the removal of plantar warts is also carried out using modern instrumental techniques.Among them, the most popular are:
- Laser photocoagulation, which helps eliminate skin growths in just one session.
- Electrocoagulation.The spine is carefully removed using a special electric scalpel.Wounds and small scars may remain after the procedure, which is why it is not used as frequently as laser coagulation.
- Removal of plantar warts using radio waves.The manipulation is carried out through the use of ultrasound frequencies that the medication emits.The procedure is just as popular as cryodestruction or laser coagulation.
- Ozone therapy.
The instrumental removal of plantar warts can be supplemented by local therapy with antiviral medications.This combination of drugs helps to significantly reduce the risk of relapse of the pathological process and significantly increase the overall effectiveness of treatment.For this, the patient is prescribed ointments or subcutaneous injections of interferons, as well as applications.
Before taking medications, treatment is necessary to soften the keratinized layer of the epidermis on the surface of the spine.For this purpose, keratolytics are used, but they do not remove the growth themselves and therefore are not suitable as an independent remedy for papillomatosis.You can use not only ointments - most often doctors recommend gluing calluses or bactericidal plasters.A few days are enough to soften the wart, after which you can proceed directly to the main treatment.
Since the spine is often prone to inflammation and the risk of secondary infection is too high, the patient may need to take antibacterial or anti-inflammatory medications.In this case, however, local treatment is particularly important.
Laser wart removal
Today, laser coagulation is one of the most popular and effective instrumental methods for removing plantar warts.There are different types of carbon dioxide lasers used to destroy skin tumors.This uses a separate type of laser for each type of growth, helping to completely remove the wart and prevent its reoccurrence in the treated area.
The principle of the laser beam effect is simple.Due to the high temperatures, fluids evaporate from the tissue of the plantar wart, which leads to its necrosis.And although this process takes some time, laser coagulation allows you to remove unsightly and painful tumors in just one procedure.The main advantage of this technique is not even its high efficiency, but the almost complete absence of contraindications and side effects.The disadvantage is the high cost of the procedure, so not every patient can afford it.
Only a qualified specialist - a dermatologist - can choose the optimal option for removing spines.He will also recommend how to prepare for the procedure and what measures need to be taken to prevent the recurrence of a plantar wart.
Pharmacy ready products
If the plantar wart is not yet deeply rooted and hardened, it can also be removed with ready-to-use solutions and ointments that are freely available in pharmacies.Each product contains a base or acid, so you must strictly follow the instructions for use of the selected drug.
A good anti-spine remedy is salicylic or boric acid, applied in the form of ointments or applications.
Traditional medicine
In the arsenal of traditional medicine there are also many recipes that are highly effective in combating various types of warts, including plantar warts.However, it is not advisable to use them as independent remedies - in most cases they have to be combined with pharmaceutical drugs.
Here are the most effective recipes:
- Celandine juice.Perhaps this is one of the most popular and effective folk remedies for treating various types of skin growths.You only need to treat the growths with fresh juice 2-3 times a day until they disappear completely.
- garlic juice.This remedy has a strong antiviral, bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effect.Before treating plantar warts, the growth must first be steamed and slightly cut, then greased with garlic juice and wrapped with a bandage.Carry out the procedure daily.The duration of treatment is 2-3 weeks.
- Acetic acid.To prepare the remedy, you need to soak the onion in acetic acid for 2-3 hours, then make a compress and fix it with a bandage.Let stand overnight.
- Rowanberry porridge.
However, the most effective means in the fight against warts is not medicines, not the above-mentioned recipes of traditional medicine and not even modern instrumental methods of removing them, but a strong immune system.Cases of spontaneous disappearance of skin tumors on the feet have been observed in people whose immune status has changed positively.
You can strengthen the immune system in many ways: sports, walks in the fresh air, proper nutrition, giving up bad habits and, finally, special drugs - immunomodulators.Be that as it may, a stable and strong immune system is the key to absolute health of the entire body.
Prevention
Primary prevention of plantar warts is aimed at preventing HPV infection.To do this you need:
- Wear individual shoes when visiting public swimming pools, spas and saunas.
- Use only your own towels and personal care products.
- wear comfortable shoes;
- against sweaty feet;
- Treat wounds, cracks and even minor scratches on the legs.
For secondary prevention of plantar warts, it is necessary to strengthen the immune system with antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs.It is necessary to start taking medications prescribed by a doctor immediately after the procedure to remove a skin tumor, which in itself is a burden on the body.
The course of therapy must be completed to the end, since if it is interrupted, all efforts will be reduced to zero and therefore even a qualified specialist cannot rule out the risk of new plantar warts forming.